Sarah's Swan Song?

The Palin interviews have been nearly unbearable to watch--and, ironically not so much because she doesn't have the answers, but because of how she mishandles her ignorance. The thing is, I could answer any of those questions better than her. I mean, I could cite at least ten or twenty publications I read regularly, and even if I didn't read any, I could at least pick a few out of a hat. How hard is it to say "The New York Times" or to name a local Alaskan paper?

But for the Supreme Court question, she should have owned her lack of knowledge. It's a somewhat abstract question to begin with, and she could easily have said something similar to one of Michelle Malkin's readers comments:

Here’s how I wish the Palin-Couric exchange would’ve went:

Couric: Can you name any other Supreme Court decisions you disagree with?

Palin: Off the top of my head, no. Roe v. Wade is clearly the one that stands out above the rest. But the average American out there isn’t worried about whether I can rattle off a bunch of Supreme Court decisions. They are worried about making their mortgage payments, keeping their jobs and sending their kids to college. They trust the Supreme Court to make those decisions. What they want from a President and Vice President is someone who will appoint Federal judges who fairly interpret the Constitution and adjudicate accordingly.

Now, was that so hard?

The question becomes, is Palin's fumbling, bumbling persona her own, or is she on too tight a leash, memorizing too many talking points, taking on too much information at once, and not answering honestly? It's hard to say, we've seen so little of her. We know she can deliver a speech, but can she answer questions at a press conference? Will she surprise us tonight at the debate, or will her performance be a moot point, given the distinct possibility that Biden will come across as the bigger ass?

It's hard to know, but the debate is now only hours away, and I think that this election, it could either be a revival for the McCain camp, or a swan song.